Let’s take a walk together

We often go to parks or those typical locations for session. We love when it switches up a bit and let’s take a walk together. When you drive around your neighborhood do you see a nice wall, brick steps, maybe even some interesting landscaping. All of these things create beautiful and unique photos. We can meet near your home or perhaps there is a neighborhood you enjoy visiting. We walk around together and find areas to take photos. Of course, we are not up on porches or trespassing in anyway. Just using the surroundings to create the perfect photo. When you are part of our birthday club we have probably been all over the city. Let’s get out and go for a walk around your neighborhood. This is exactly what we decided to do for this birthday club session. It was decided to take a walk around favorite neighborhood, The Hill. We have been photographing on The Hill for over 40 years, there is always a new place that is interesting. The stone walls and cozy benches are perfect, not to mention the new Piazza has that wonderful water fountain. Since we were doing a bit more walking at this session we had lots of time to talk. We talked about the start of school, what fun travels happened over the summer and we couldn’t forget to talk about video games. All the boys love talking about video games, good thing we know a thing or two. However, they are always happy to teach us more. The weather was warm but not too bad in the shade. We could see that the smiles were getting a bit fake after a few blocks in our walk so we broke out some jokes to get him laughing. We have know him since he was a baby since he is part of our birthday club. There is one more session left in the club, but we know that we will still get a chance to see him. Perhaps around the neighborhood because it is one of our favorite places to go.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #thehill #birthdayclub #outdoorsession #summerphotos #photosintheneighborhood #letstakeawalk
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

One year birthday club session

It’s hard to decide which sessions are our favorites during the birthday club. One year birthday club sessions are very exciting. But do we like them more than the newborn session? What about the 2 other sessions in between? There is also the other 13 sessions after one year! The one year birthday club session is definitely up there with our favorite sessions. The kids definitely start to show lots of personality. The session began with some family photos. We knew that we were going to do a smash cake at the end so we wanted to be sure to get all the other photos done first. The family photos went very smoothly, giving them lots to pick from when making selections. We were hoping to get some photos of the brothers but big brother was on the move. He is very fast and since little brother hasn’t quite caught up yet we only got a few of those. No big deal since this session was the one year birthday session and that was the focus anyway. Our big one year old smiled and laughed during all his photos. He even bounced right back after a tumble in the weeds. It was like it didn’t even happen! He is so easy going just like mom and dad. We moved around the park a bit getting different scenery options. He isn’t walking just yet, maybe a step or two. This actually helped because he was fully entertained by use being silly after we gave him a spot to sit or stand. The last thing was the smash cake, or cupcakes. He was definitely more interested in the cake tray than the cupcakes. Big brother wanted to join in this one year birthday club session so we were able to capture a few of them sharing cupcakes – super cute! Even though we didn’t have a smash we still captured this one year session. The kids grow so fast so having these photos will be a great memory. See you in 6 months!     #ravettaphotography #birthdayclub #stlphotographer #portraitphotographer #oneyearsession #oneyearsmashcake #smashcakephotos #happybirthday #outdoorsession
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , family photography , Ravetta Photography , stlouisphotographer

Summer sessions in the park

We have such a fun time during our summer sessions in the park. We know that it is hot and the kids are going to be a mess quickly. Therefore, we pick shade spots and work as fast as possible. Using just  few locations with multiple poses allows the kids to play. Of course, if the kids want to move a bit more we are able to do that. Moving around is a luxury of the outdoor sessions. Indoors we are limited to where the lights are, but outside we can just move to a new location. The boys wanted to climb on the rocks in Tower Grove, all boys like to climb on the rocks. However, it was a very hot summer session in the park and the rocks are in the sun. We made a deal to take photos in the shade first before we did our climbing. The locations we picked gave us the chance to play peek-a-boo and slide down a tree. These areas kept the boys busy until we were ready to get out into the sun. A bit of climbing and then some races together really enhanced their personalities. We know our birthday club members grow fast when we only get to see them once a year. But these fun images help us get to know them even better. Some kids are ready to play with us while others want to just do their own thing. Either way we are able to capture them enjoying the sun during this summer sessions in the park. Since this family is part of our birthday club they know we are able to get those perfect images in only a short time. When working with kids time can be limited, the heat doesn’t help either. We worked quickly and were able to capture exactly what we needed. Looking forward to seeing you again next year boys!         #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #summerphotography #siblingphotography #locationphotos #towergrovepark #hotouthere
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , Ravetta Photography , stlouisphotographer

Too much fun in one session

There really is no such thing as too much fun in one session. We often only get to see some of our clients once a year when it is time for a birthday club session. When a family has three members of our birthday club we understand that is it sometimes easier to just get everything done during one session. Three kids ready for photos arrived and did everything we wanted. We were hoping to accomplish each kid individually, the three kids together and some family photos. Not only did we get those but we also fit in some photos with mom and kids and then dad and kids. Working with each kid individually gives a moment to talk with them one on one. We learn so much about the things they like or what makes them smile. Getting to know our birthday club members is truly a joy. The photos of the kids together are fun because they interacted so well together. You can tell big sister wants to keep those boys in line! We picked a park near dads works. It worked out perfectly that dad could meet during his lunch to be a part of these photos. We are a big fan of using every opportunity to get those family photos. After a couple locations we could tell the kids were starting to get a bit silly. Great, let’s do it! Some fun jumping photos, tickles, ring-around-the-rosie, and climbing in trees – these photos are a great way to show personality and also let the kids have fun. We like having the nice family photos but adore some time when the kids play together. They might not all be looking in the right direction, or even doing the right thing, but that is the personality we capture. We look forward to seeing them again next year for the birthday club session. #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #birthdayclub #parkphotos #familysession #summerphotos
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , family photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Items your children love in a session

We know that sometimes taking photos each year can be daunting. However, don’t forget the items your children love. Yes, a beautiful photo with a park background or an urban setting is wonderful. But what about those photos that really show what your children love at this age. We enjoy seeing our birthday club members and we will take those “regular” photos during the session. However, we love when parents bring along something that will show personality. The session started off perfectly with some big smiles and easy posing. We walked around the park and learned all about Star Wars. James recently received a Star Wars Lego set and now he loved everything about it. He even brought one of the droids mini figures with him. This droid stayed in his pocket for most of the session but made his appearance from time to time. James wanted him to be in a photo, so of course we took one with him holding his droid with a big smile on his face. Being the great big brother that he is, James allowed his little sister to be in a few photos during his session. She wasn’t too excited about it, but those images of James telling her a secret and holding her hand are just priceless. The whole time we took photos James had no idea that mom brought him a surprise. She had purchased a toy light saber for him to play with during the session. When she brought it out he was shocked that she had it. He was even more shocked that it was his to keep! The excitement was undeniable. James had so much fun showing us his poses, battle faces and even his attack moves. Luckily he stopped right before slicing the camera with his light saber. These photos are perfect memories of James. We are delighted that we were able to capture them. What will it be next time? #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #birthdayclub #parkphotos #starwarsfan
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Birthday Club Mini Session

  Our birthday club is an amazing deal! The membership includes 16 full sessions from newborn until your child is 12 years old. Four of those sessions are during the first year and we know that can often be a lot to manage. Starting in 2023 we are offering the 4 and 8 month sessions can be mini. These are usually full birthday club sessions. Each session you are entitled to have about an hour of time. However, if you wanted to shorten that to 30 minutes we are happy to do so. However, that is only for those in between sessions. The print discounts stay the same but what happens is when you purchase the full digital download it would be less photos so you pay ½ the price. These mini birthday club sessions are perfect to keep up with the photos, as well as, not go over budget every 4 months. The newborn session and 1 year session are not offered as 30 minutes because these are those wonderful milestones to capture every moment. We had already done a 4 month session for this sweet girl, wow time flies! It was time for the 8 month session and we were ready to get outdoors. Mom said she was still working on her stability when sitting up, but honestly she did perfectly. This morning park session was a great time for her – all smiles the whole time. We were able to have her sit in all different areas while also getting some laying photos to show off all her poses. These quick sessions are a great way for us to check in with clients, see the children grow, and capture those perfect moments. There is no reason to skip these sessions with this great offer. Take full advantage of your birthday club membership. We get to see you more often and you have amazing photos of those sweet faces.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #birthdayclub #parkphotos #forestpark #photographyforestpark
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Kids grow so fast, so join the birthday club!

A wonderful birthday club session that started with smiles and ended with cake. It doesn’t get any better than that! We love capturing the moments because kids grow so fast. Why does it seem that our birthday club members grow so fast? One day we are photographing a newborn session and then BAM we are doing a one -year session. We were very excited to hear from mom when she set up Luella’s photos. We had done her older brother at their house so she wanted to do the same for her. It was very excited to see the decorations that were used for her donut party. Since they had them at the house we were able to use them for the photos. Luella, admittedly so, is not a baby that smiles all the time. She wants to take in her surroundings and then decide if you are worthy of her smiles. We started off photos in her party dress. It was such a cute dress with tons of ruffles that didn’t bother her, however that bow was another story. Luella is not a fan of bows on her head. Luckily mom just rolls with it and when the bow comes off we just keep going with photos. With some help from both mom and dad Luella felt comfortable enough with us being at her house. She started to show us those true smiles. She really liked to stand and dance to Flogging Molly, hey some Irish beats can really get you going. A few photos with our favorite stuffed toys doesn’t hurt either. We ended the session with the smash cake, that is the best way to end since most babies get very messy. Luella of course got messy but that was really because dad smashed her hand in the cake. She ate a bit, but really just wanted to be on the move instead. Big brother helped a bit, but we think that was just so he could steal a donut from the set. Luella didn’t seem to mind! Despite the early warm up time Luella was happy during her session so we were able to get many photos of her. We look forward to the next birthday club session where she will most likely be running. Don’t miss the moments because kids grow fast.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #oneyearsession #birthdayclub #locationphotos
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , stlouisphotographer

A one year construction photo session

This is the 5 session we have done for Tyson and Sarah. We started with maternity and then they joined Steel in the birthday club. Of course, his newborn session was sweet and memorable. Each session between also gave us some things to remember, Steel just not giving us any smiles. Maybe one or two but he was really holding out during each session. Sarah said he smiles all the time but when he got the office he just froze. We were determined to break that streak during his one year photo! Steel’s one year session was amazing. He started off with his usual “I’m not interested” face. However, once we found out he loved those fake sneezes we were golden. He just laughed and smiled the rest of the time he was at our office. Sarah was so excited for him to show off his dimples and bright blue eyes. This time he even had a few teeth to show off too. The theme of his birthday was construction because he loves all things trucks. We encouraged Sarah to bring anything she wanted that he would enjoy having in his photos. Some decorations from his party and a few trucks did the trick. He may have knocked them over a few times but he loved having his toys during the session. They had purchased a wall photo from Steel’s newborn session to hang on the wall. They have been enjoying that for a year! Now it was time to replace it with a new family photo and Tyson wanted something bigger on the wall. They love the photos so much that they needed to prominently display it in their home. Since Steel was already taking steps we know that his 18 month session is going to be one to remember as well. We will be chasing him all over, an outdoor session might be best! We are excited to see you again soon Steel, keep smiling for mom and dad.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #familyphotos #oneyearsession #birthdayclub
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , ravettaphotography , St. Louis Photographer

Newborn session, welcome to the world

Welcome to the world Luke! We love to have you as part of our birthday club. Your brother has been such a great member and now we get to have you be a part of the Ravetta family too. We were expecting a call from mom since at the last session she said she was expecting. However, when we got it we were surprised. It just seemed like time went by so fast! Going into this newborn session mom and dad were ready for whatever we were able to get since they knew we were working with a toddler and a baby. Big brother may have needed some treats in order to sit down but once he did he was all smiles. We got some perfect images of the brothers together. Mom was happy to the great start of Luke’s first birthday club session. Honestly, with a toddler in the studio having to sit still for photos with his baby brother it went perfectly. The rest of the session was dedicated to Luke. Mom brought a few things that are special to them to include in the photos. We really like when parents do that because then the photos are more unique to the child. Also, it opens up the idea to bring back that item when they are older. Then we can take a photo showing how much they have grown. All of Luke’s photos are just wonderful because he slept so well and also tolerated the swaddles and clothing changes. We did use some calming techniques between a few photos but that’s no problem to get the results that we got in our photos. Since Luke is now a member of our birthday club we look forward to seeing him in just a few short months. Again, time goes by so fast but we are excited to see what type of personality emerges from this sweet little boy.   #ravettaphotography #stlphotographer #newbornsession #studiosession #brothers #babyboy
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , Newborn Photographer , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer

Birthday Club summer session in the park

Another birthday club session at Ravetta Photography! We love meeting new families and photographing just about anything, but our birthday club sessions are so much fun. We get to see families at least once a year. During the first year we see our members 4 times. Each time we are amazed to see how big the children are getting. With so many sessions in the first year, we are able to utilize different locations during each session. Those winter birthday babies can have an outdoor session during one of the other times they visit. Hank arrived and he looks like a little boy. Of course, he is a little boy but this was his 8-month session. We could swear he looks and acts at least 1 year old. Hank is normally a little flirt, we remember from his 4-month session. But today he was a bit stuck on mom and dad holding him. Good thing we had planned to do family photos because we did those first. Hank warmed up to the idea of letting go to take his own photos. He did give us a few smiles but we had to bring out some of his favorite songs in order to make him laugh. However, the photos of him getting kisses from mom and giving dad a big hug are just precious. They really show off how he is acting at this age and stage as he grows. These are photos that will be cherished forever. It won’t be long before he is moving too fast to stop and give hugs. His one-year session is going to be so much fun since he will be walking, perhaps even be talking a bit more too. We are looking forward to seeing you again soon Hank!   #birthdayclub #stlphotographer #parkphotos #locationsession
Rachel Ravetta   0     birthday club , Children photography , family photography , Ravetta Photography , St. Louis Photographer